Car starter and brake



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1., S. JOH & W. BARLOW.

GAB STARTER AND BRAKE.

No. 466,242. Patented Dec. 29, 1891.

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(No Model.) 2 S hee1ssSheet; 2. S. JOH & W. BARLOW. OAR STARTER AND BRAKE.

No. 466,242. Patented Dec. 29, 1891.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SHERMAN J OH AND IVESLEY BARLOIV, OF SIMS, INDIANA.

CAR STARTER AND BRAKE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 466,242, dated December 29, 1891.

Application filed April 18,1891. Serial No. 389,491. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known thatwe, SHERMAN J on and WEsLEY BARL W, citizens of the United States, residing at Sims, in the county of Grant and State of Indiana,'have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Car Starters and Brakes, of which the followingv is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.-

This invention relates to that class of de vices which are employed to arrest the motion of street-cars and apply the power thus expended to start or assist in starting the cars; and the special object of the present invention is to provide a simple and efficient mechanism for the purposes named, adapted to be operated from either end of a car traveling in either direction, as will be more fully hereinafter described.

The further object of the invention is to provide a flexible connection between the carframe and the mechanism, whereby the disengagement of the gearing bythe springing of the car is prevented, as will presently appear.

Referring to the'drawings, forming part of this specification, Figure l is a plan view of a car-frame provided with our improved carstarter adjusted to start the car in the direction indicated by the arrow. Fig. 2 is a crosssectional view taken on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view taken on the line 3 3 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4: is an elevation of the mechanism, showing one of its adjustments.

Similar letters of reference denote corresponding parts in all the views.

In the construction of our invention shown, which is the preferred construction, we secure to one of the car-axles a, a suitable distance apart, two beveled gear-wheels b b. Mounted on the said axle a, a suitable distance from the respective gears 19 Z), are two boxes 0 c, to which are secured the respective ends of the diverging side bars d d of the horizontal supporting-frame e. The side bars cl extend longitudinally of the car and preferably converge toward its center, and are connected at their converged ends by a cross baror block f, on which is pivoted by a'bolt g one end of a horizontal shaft or stub-axle h. axle or shaft extends longitudinally of the car, and its free end extends in between the beveled gears b I), mounted on the axle a, and has loosely mounted on it a beveled gear 1, which is adapted to mesh with either of the beveled gears b b, as may be desired, said beveled gears being of such diameter that when adjusted centrally between the gears b b it will be free from both, and yet, by a very slight adjustment, may be caused to engage either of said gears, as desired. The hub of this beveled gear 2' is formed with an annular groove j, which receives and forms a bearing for the yoke k on the slide-barl, whereby the free end of the horizontal stub-axle h is supported. The said yoke prevents any lateral motion of the beveled gear 2' and also receives the thrust of said gear.

The bar Z slides in boxes or bearings m, secured to the under side of the side bars of the horizontal supporting-frame, and is provided at one of its ends with a bifurcated head or clip, in which is pivoted one end of a connecting-rod n. The other end of this connectingrod is pivoted to a crank 0, formed on the horizontal rock-shaft P, which extends the length of the car, and is provided at each end with an upright hand-lever Q, said levers being arranged in a convenient position for operation by the attendant on the platform. By means of the said hand-levers the shaft P is rocked, and through the crank and connecting-rod carried by this shaft the gear 2' is adjusted by means of the slide-bar Z to mesh with either of the beveled gears secured to the car-axle, or to allow them to run free, as desired. A segmental rack 9*, provided with three notches, is supported near the upper end of said levers, said notches engaging and securing the lever in its three adjusted positions, as is evident.

One half of a clutch sis formed on the hub of the beveled gear 11. The other half of said clutch is formed on the adjacent side of a ratchet-wheel t, loosely mounted on the stubaxle h. The two halves of said clutch are kept in engagement by the pressure of the spring 1;, coiled on the stub-axle, to be presently described. The ratchet-wheel t is en- This stubgaged by a spring-pawl u, which is secured to the slide-bar land curves up over the ratchetwheel.

The spring 2;, hereinbefore mentioned, is coiled on the stub-axle, and one of its ends is secured to the ratchet-wheel 25, while its other end is secured to. a block 0', secured to the cross-bar f of the supporting-frame.

Directly beneath the ratchet-wheel i and connecting the side bars of the supportingframe is a cross-bar to, which is provided on its upper side, in a suitable position to be engaged by the downwardly-curved end of the spring-pawl it, with. two upwardly-projecting rounded teats a: x, which are placed a sufficient distance apart to permit the said downwardly-curved end of the spring-pawl to fall between them when the gear 1'. is adjusted to its central position, as clearly shown in Fig. 4 of the drawings. The object of this construction is to provide for the automatic tripping of the spring-pawl to cause it to engage the ratchet, thereby preventing by means of the clutch the revolution of the gear 'i while the same is being adjusted from one of the gears b b to the other and while the car is at rest; also, to provide for the automatic releasing of the said ratchet by the spring-pawl, the pawl being forced up by passing over the said teats when the gear 1' is adjusted to engage either of the gears Z) Z), as clearly shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings. The object of the clutch is to cause the gear 1? to revolve with the beveled gear with which it may be en gaged when the force of the coiled spring is expended.

One end of a chain 3 is secured to the crossbar f of the supporting-frame. The other end of said chain is secured to the under side of the framing of the car, whereby the sup porting-frame is held in a horizontal position, the chain forming a flexible connection between the car-frame and the frame supporting the mechanism. By said construction the disengagement of the beveled gears by the jolting or springing of the car is prevented. Should there be any movement of the supporting-frame, caused by the slacking of the chain, said movement will be in an arc of a circle described from the center of the axle carrying the beveled gears, and, as is manifest, the perfect meshing of either of said gears and the intermediate gear will not be affected in the least.

The operation of our invention is as follows: hen it is desired to arrest the motion of a car traveling in the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. 1, the upright hand-lever at either end of the car is thrown in the direction indicated by dotted arrows until it engages the notch formed in that side of the segmental rack, thereby rocking the long rock-shaft P and serving, through the connections already described, to swing the stubaxle laterally on its pivot far enough to bring the gear 2' in engagement with the gear 1), secured to the car-axle. The spring-pawl secured to the slide-bar will be disengaged from the ratchet-wheel t by its curved end coming in contact with and being raised by the projection 00 on the cross-bar of the supportingframe. The momentum will then operate, through the meshin g beveled gears, to 0011 the spring 1: around the stub-axle. \Vhen the said spring is tightly wound, the wheels will be practically locked and the car will be stopped. Now if it is desired that the car remain stationary, the hand-levers are adjusted to vertical positions, as shown in big. -l of the drawings. The gear b will then be disengaged from the gear I) and the curved end of the spring-pawl will have dropped between the teats at 00', causing the pawl to engage the ratchet t, thereby preventmgthe uncoiling of thespring. hen it is desired to continue in the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. 1, either of the hand-levers must be thrown in the direction opposite thatun which it was thrown to stop the car, which will cause the mechanism to assume the position shown in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings, the spring-pawl being released from the ratchet by its end passing over the teat 9:, thereby permitting the spring on the stub-axle to 1111-- coil and exert its force in starting or assisting in starting the car.

It is manifest that when the car is traveling in the opposite direction to the one indicated the operation of the levers must be reversed.

Having thus described our invent1on,what we claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a car starter and brake, the combination of a car-axle having two separated gearwheels rigidly secured thereto, with a supporting-frame mounted on said axle, a shaft pivoted to said supporting-frame, a gear-wheel loosely mounted on the said shaft, means whereby said gear is adjusted to engage either of said gears secured to the car-axle, and a spring coiled in the stubaxle, whereby the momentum of the car is applied to 0011 the spring and the power of the spring in turn applied to propel the car, substantlally as and for the purpose described.

2. In a car-starter, the combination of a car and a car-axle having two gear-wheels rig dly secured thereto, with a horizontal supportlngframe, a flexible connection between the said frame and the car-body, whereby the disengagement of the gears by the springing of the car is prevented, a shaft carried by said frame, a gear and clutch loosely mounted on the said shaft, a coiled spring on said shaft, a slide-bar support-ing the free end of the stub-axle and forming abearing for the gear on said stub-axle, and means whereby the said slide-bar is moved laterally to efiect the adjustment of the gears, substantially as described, and for the purposes specified.

3. In a car-starter, the combination of a caraxle having two beveled gears rigidly secured thereon,with a horizontal supporting-frame having one of its ends secured on said axle, a flexible connection between the other end and the car-body, a horizontal stub-axle pivoted to said frame, carrying a gear at its other end, adapted to engage either of the gears secured to the car-axle, a slide-bar mounted in abearing secured to the horizontal supporting-frame, forming a bearing for the gear mounted on said stub axle and a support for the stub'axle, a clutch secured to said gear, a ratchet-Wheel on the stubaxle, a clutch on said ratchet engaging the clutch on the gear, a spring-pawl secured to the slide-bar and adapted to automatically engage and release the ratchet, a spring coiled on the stub-axle, having one of its ends secured to the ratchet, its other end secured to the supporting-frame, and means for adjusting the slide-bar, thereby effecting the adjustment of the gear carried by the stub-axle to engage either of the gears secured to the car-axle, substantially as and for the purposes described.

4. In a car-starter, the combination of a car,

a pair of gears on one of its axles, a horizontal frame mounted at one end on said axle, a flexible connection connecting its other end to the car-body, a stub-axle pivoted at one end on said horizontal frame, a gear carried by said axle adapted to engage the gears on the car-axle, and means for adjusting said stub-axle, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof We affix our signatures in presence of two Witnesses.

SHERMAN J OI-I. WESLEY BARLOXV. Witnesses:

D. S. J ONES, GEO. LOCI-IRIDGE. 

